EB I-10 temporarily reopens south of Phoenix after closure due to issue with Gila River Bridge
Jun 25, 2024, 5:56 AM | Updated: 9:35 am
PHOENIX — The eastbound lanes of the Interstate 10 have temporarily reopened after being closed at the Gila River Bridge south of Phoenix on Tuesday morning, authorities said.
A technical issue with the bridge deck caused the shutdown near milepost 173 before 4 a.m., according to the Arizona Department of Transportation.
ADOT spokesperson Steve Elliott said the bridge’s concrete deck has worn through to the underlying rebar.
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“The issue is affecting one lane of the two-lane bridge,” Elliott told KTAR News 92.3 FM. “This issue is unrelated to the current project to replace the I-10 Gila River bridges with modern, three-lane spans.”
ADOT reopened one eastbound lane around 9:15 a.m. However, authorities plan to reinstate the closure on Tuesday evening so full repairs can be made.
Both eastbound lanes will be closed from 10 p.m. Tuesday to 6 a.m. Wednesday.
One lane will reopen Wednesday morning because the concrete used to make repairs needs a lot of time to cure, ADOT said.
How did the Gila River Bridge issue impact drivers on Tuesday morning?
During the closure, ADOT directed eastbound I-10 traffic to exit the freeway at Riggs Road.
CLOSED: I-10 EB is closed at the Gila River bridge (MP 173). The closure is due to an issue with the bridge deck.
For real-time traffic info, check https://t.co/l4s0AFGOpz & the AZ511 app:
📱 Apple: https://t.co/ZBt7iIAdRd
📱 Android: https://t.co/n3R7tHa8nN1/2 pic.twitter.com/vo0NVYZyxK
— Arizona DOT (@ArizonaDOT) June 25, 2024
Motorists were encouraged to divert to southbound State Routes 87 and 587, ADOT said.
The closure caused backup of the eastbound I-10 all the way to Queen Creek Road.
The westbound lanes were not impacted.
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